The Four Horsemen: An Anthology of Conquest, War, Famine & Death

Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts
pillhillpress@ gmail.com

The anthology will be divided into four sections: Conquest, War, Famine/Pestilence, and Death. Most genres, including, but not limited to, supernatural, dark fantasy, horror, suspense, crime, mystery, humor and science fiction, are welcome as long as they fit the theme of one of our four categories (conquest, war, famine/pestilence, death). Please note which category your story fits into when you submit.

Stories can be realistic or fantastical. They can take place anywhere - on Earth, under Earth, in Space, etc. They can take place at any time - past, present, future, alternate. We are looking for a good variety of unique stories that fit our four categories!

We are looking for short stories 500-5,000 words in length.

Please do not send stories with a strong religious theme. Pill Hill Press does not wish to misrepresent any religion. Also, please do not send rape/torture stories, anything "x" rated or pornographic, pet mutilation tales, fiction about child abuse and/or pedophilia, or submissions that denegrate any race, gender or sexual orientation.

Submissions will be accepted until Thursday, December 31, 2009. We will not make final selections until the end of the submission period. Responses will be sent by January 31, 2010. Please do not query about the status of your submission until February 1, 2010. We will send notification that we received your story within one week of submission. If you do not receive acknowledgement of your submission, please resend to pillhillpress@ gmail.com.

This book is scheduled to be released June, 2010

Criminal Tendencies

Crème de la Crime’s raison d’etre is to offer a unique opportunity to previously unpublished crime novelists. Until October 31st 2008, we’re offering the same opportunity to short story writers.

CRIMINAL TENDENCIES 2009 is a short story competition which offers a writer previously unpublished in the crime genre the opportunity to see his or her work on sale in bookshops throughout the UK, in a high-profile anthology alongside household names from the crime writing world including Reginald Hill, creator of the top-selling Dalziel and Pascoe series; Sophie Hannah, whose suspense chiller Little Face was a 2007 Richard and Judy’s Book club selection; and top-selling author Peter James.

The winner of Criminal Tendencies 2009 will be selected by Mark Billingham, award-winning author of the bestselling Tom Thorne series of gripping crime novels – and also an accomplished short story writer.

The anthology, also titled CRIMINAL TENDENCIES, will be published in spring 2009, and for every copy sold, £1 will go to the Genesis Appeal, the only charity in the UK entirely dedicated to the prevention of breast cancer. Based at Europe’s first purpose-built breast cancer prevention centre, the Genesis Appeal funds vital research into prevention and early diagnosis; their aim is to create a future without breast cancer. Currently one woman in ten in the UK will develop this terrible disease; the Genesis Appeal aims to make 1 in 10, none in 10.

Criminal Tendencies 2009 invites entries in the crime genre, maximum length 3000 words, by post to the address below or on-line using the submission form.

The closing date for Criminal Tendencies 2009 is 31st Oct 2008. For on-line entry this means midnight on that date local time wherever you are.

An entry fee of £5.00 per story, which includes a donation to Genesis, should accompany each entry, by cheque if you enter by post, or by MasterCard or Visa via the secure facility on the submission form. Card payments will be processed by our sister company, Real Writers; this is the name which will appear on your statement.

Please attach a cover sheet to postal entries, with the title and length of the story, and full contact details: address, daytime phone number and e-mail address. For on-line entries, please complete the submission form.

Entrants should be previously unpublished in the crime genre.

We also offer all entrants a chance to sample Crème de la Crime’s wide range of top-class full-length crime fiction at half the bookshop price. Choose any TWO of the titles listed on the Backlist page (link), for just £8 post free. Please note your order on your submission form or cover sheet; payment will be taken with your entry fee, and your books despatched immediately. DO NOT click the Buy Now at Amazon button.

For full details of and conditions of entry for Criminal Tendencies 2009 click here.